If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Looking for a good dog food.

Hi

I have just been reading through the forum and been taking in all the different foods and ways in which people feed their dogs. I was recommended by my vet to feed our puppy with Hills Scientific plan food which i purchase from the vet. The thing is i have not heard anyone else on this forum saying they use this food and i was lead to believe it was one of the best feeds. Of course i want the best nourishment for my puppy so this is a big deal to me. Is there anyone else out there who uses this pet food. Or maybe you could recommend one that you think is better. Im just curious now.
Thanks

We've been really pleased with Canadae as both my pups and older dog can eat the same food. It seems to set well on their sensitive tummies as well. It's available at Pet Supply Plus stores and many feed stores as well. I have seen it mentioned on several breeder's sites - my breeder is the one that suggested it to us. The added bonus is that it is just a bit less expensive than some of the otber "good" brands.

Vet's recommend Hill's because they do a deal with the producer to sell it. Also because they do some sepcific foods that can be helpful to cats/dogs weith specific medical conditions.

In general many feel the food is overprices for what it is, and also not the highest quality ingredients, plus it has grains that can sometimes cause allergic reactions (canids wouldn't normally eat grains! But it makes a cheap filler to bulk out store foods).

If you read some of the postings in the Caring for Your Cavalier section of the Library there are links to some pages with recommended foods. I'd finish feeding the bag you have but then maybe consider something with better quality ingredients than Hill's. I like Royal Canin myself and James Wellbeloved but the latter is sold over here but not in the US I think.

I've heard that the meat and vegetables used in most pet foods is considered unfit for human consumption. I wonder if brands differ on this.

I have heard that puppy food is not good for puppies, it makes them grow too fast. I don't know much about this, i've just heard a number of people say it on discussion lists. They say that it's not the right balance for a puppy and is not healthy for them. But again, i don't know if that's right or not.

Note she also includes the well-known and well-respected recommended kibble list from the Whole Dog Journal (which I also recommend! You can get a digital or print version, worth it for the feeding info alone: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/ ). The kibbles on this list all use human-grade protein and veg/fruit sources. There used to be a good online list that graded kibbles as to whether they used human grade protein (otherwise they can use 'downers', animals that die at the abbatoir becasue they are too sick to walk, and can use sick/diseased animals unfit for the human food chain). But that has disappeared.

Most breeders I've encountered in most breeds, large to smal, say do NOT feed puppy foods (or kitten foods to kittens). Mainly because they can be overly rich and cause the animal's bones to grow too quickly and for the animal to be oversized. My own take: in nature a wild dog or cat is not fed extra nutrient rich food after weaning, but the same things adults eat, so as long as the pup/kitten gets the right amounts of a good adult food, they are fine. They get the extra nutrients they need when being milk-fed.

Again, I'm going to recommend reading breeder Laura Lang's page on feeding guidelines. ...Note she also includes the well-known and well-respected recommended kibble list from the Whole Dog Journal.

Great resource! thanks. i had subscribed to the Whole Dog Journal digital magazine when i first got zack and was researching how to deal with fleas. i subscribed so i could search the archives. I haven't been reading it though, just so little time for everything, such a steep learning curve. But this link you posted here is concise and clear, it has lots of very important useful information all on one page. i just feel bad that Zack had been eating puppy kibble for 4 1/2 months.

Holly (14 weeks) was on pedigree puppy, but she was getting terrible diarhea from it. Vet recommended hills puppy for her and it got her back on track again, thank god. So i'm happy to stick with it.
Yvonne